I am happy to share a devotional article that was published in the Bible Advocate’s Sept-October issue and translated into Spanish. Empowered Witnesses focuses on how God prepares us to do the work to which He has called us.
Excerpt:
Like the believers of old let us step forward boldly recognizing that
Empowered Witnesses by JP Robinson
that we have God And that means we can change the world
Read more on page 12.
He will judge between the nations
Isaiah 2:4 (NIV)
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
This morning while reading my Bible, I was struck (for probably the millionth time) by the hope that God’s Word contains. In the case of world peace I’m sure we’ll agree that humanity has failed—miserably.
But what we seek to attain by human measures God promises will happen, not by our political scheming or military prowess, but by His own power.
Jesus will bring world peace at His return and those who are secure in Him will never suffer again.
Now that’s something to smile about!
JP Robinson
My article on collaborative marketing is featured on A3 (Almost an Author.com).
It’s never been easier to get your book published. But easy access to publishing creates challenges of its own.
With millions of titles uploaded to various self-publishing platforms on a regular basis, authors must radically reshape their approach to book marketing in order to see an increase in sales. An innovative approach to increasing exposure is collaborative marketing.
There’s nothing new about the idea of collaboration. It’s been a key element of writing for centuries. But the idea of marketing collaboratively, instead of individually, is a successful business technique that authors need to embrace.JP Robinson
Simply put, collaborative marketing, or co-marketing, is a strategy that involves working with similar companies or individuals to promote a brand while driving down costs.
My son, Ezekiel, and I just got back from the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve and Preserve in Colorado. Of course, he was a natural at “sandboarding” while I… just kind of hung on for dear life!
But I learned that “sandboarding” has a lot in common with life and great writing. You take the plunge then hang on for the ride!
Even if you end up with dirt in your face, the trip is worth it. 🙂
Enjoy today.
JP
” Take the plunge then hang on for the ride! Even if you end up with dirt in your face, the trip is worth it.” —JP Robinson
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My eldest son headed off to Middle School today! Hard to believe but true. 🙂
Anyway, while getting him all pepped up for the school year, I realized he was a bit understandably nervous. So, Christian writer that I am, I shared experiences from my life and the Bible, but I thought go a little further and share a quick-write with you about another man who had to face a new challenge of his own.
I hope Nehemiah’s story inspires you. If you have back-to-schoolers in your life, may it inspire them as well.
JP Robinson
It was the scariest day of my life! At least, that’s what I thought then. Why, you ask?
Here’s what happened.
King Artaxerxes, the sole ruler of an empire that spanned more than 2 million square miles, had just asked me a question.
Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t that talking to such a powerful man was scary. I am his cupbearer after all, and he trusts me enough to ask my opinions from time to time. The problem today was the question itself. You see, he looked right at me and asked, “Nehemiah, why are you sad?”
To you, that might sound like something nice. To me … it sounded like a death sentence.
You see, as the guy that made sure the king’s wine wasn’t poisoned, and spent a lot of time in his presence, it was pretty much against the rules for me to be sad when around the king. Artaxerxes thought of himself as so important that he banished all sadness from the life of anyone around him. Everybody had to be happy in his presence.
Weird, I know, but that’s the way things were.
Well anyway, even though I knew I shouldn’t be sad around the king, I just couldn’t bring myself to smile. Not today.
Some of my relatives, who lived near the Lord’s city, Jerusalem, had come with news. Bad news. They told me the city was in ruins and the gate still broken down. I knew that I had to do something. But what could I do? I was a thousand miles away from Jerusalem. I was just a lowly servant to the king. I was no Joshua that could command the sun to stand still or a David that could kill a giant!
I was a cupbearer. A soon-to-be-executed cupbearer.
But then I remembered that yesterday I had asked God to allow me to make a difference for my people back in my home country of Israel. This was my chance! I could either let things go as they were and pretend everything was okay, or I could take the plunge.
Scared stiff, I whispered a prayer in my heart for God’s help. Then I licked my lips, straightened my shoulders … and asked for permission to go back to my home country and rebuild the city.
Yes, I thought that was the scariest day of my life. Little did I know that things would get even scarier. But I learned an important lesson that day. God can use cupbearers as well as conquerors.
